Lavender plant named ‘Barcelona White’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Barcelona White’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching, dense and bushy plant form; and white-colored flowers with showy white-colored terminal flower bracts.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lavandula stoechascultivar Barcelona White.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavenderplant, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Barcelona White’.

The new Lavender is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new compact and freely branchingLavender cultivars with large and attractive flowers and good gardenperformance.

The new Lavender originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in August, 1999, of the Lavandula stoechas cultivar MadridWhite, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknownselection of Lavandula stoechas, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Lavender was discovered and selected by the Inventor asa single flowering plant with the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Kulnura, NewSouth Wales, Australia in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atKulnura, New South Wales, Australia, since October, 2000, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Lavender are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Barcelona White have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Barcelona White’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Barcelona White’ as a newand distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching, dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. White-colored flowers with showy white-colored terminal        flower bracts.

Plants of the new Lavender differ from plants of the female parent, thecultivar Madrid White, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender are more compact and more dense        than plants of the cultivar Madrid White.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender and the cultivar Madrid White        differ in petal coloration as plants of the cultivar Madrid        White had pale purple-colored petals.

Plants of the new Lavender can be compared to plants of the cultivar KewRed, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventorin Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Lavenderdiffered from plants of the cultivar Kew Red in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender were denser and bushier than        plants of the cultivar Kew Red.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender and the cultivar Kew Red differed        in petal and terminal flower bract coloration as plants of the        cultivar Kew Red had dark pink-colored petals and pink-colored        terminal flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Lavender.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Barcelona White’ grown in aone-gallon container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical leaves and inflorescences of ‘Barcelona White’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse in Lompoc,Calif. for about 37 weeks in 1-gallon containers. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18 to 24° C., nighttemperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C., and light levels ranged from4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula stoechas cultivar Barcelona    White.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Lavandula stoechas cultivar Madrid White, not            patented.        -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Lavandula stoechas, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About one week at 25° C.            Winter: About two weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About six            weeks at 25° C. Winter: About seven weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial. Compact, upright and mounded plant form.            Freely branching, about six main stems each with about six            to eight lateral branches; dense and bushy plant habit;            vigorous growth habit. Flowers in verticillasters on crowded            spikes with showy terminal flower bracts.        -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter:            About 6 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength:            Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Fine pubescence.            Color: Developing stems: 194A. Older woody stems: 199A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex:            Nearly round. Base: Attenuate, clasping. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescence. Fragrance:            Very aromatic, pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 189A. Fully            expanded foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 189A. Venation,            upper and lower surfaces: 194A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers in            compact verticillasters on crowded spikes. Freely flowering,            about 140 flowers per spike; flowers tubular with five            lobes; inflorescences with showy terminal bracts.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the Spring.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual inflorescences            last about two weeks on the plant and individual flowers            last about three to four days on the plant. Flowers not            persistent, terminal flower bracts persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Oblong. Color: 155A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About            1.4 cm.        -   Flowers.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Depth            (height): About 4 mm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length, lobes:            About 1 mm. Width, lobes: About 1 mm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: 155A. When opening and fully            opened, lower surface: 155A.        -   Terminal flower bracts.—Arrangement: About four in a single            whorl at inflorescence apex. Length: About 8 mm. Width:            About 6 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Cordate. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.            Color, immature, upper and lower surfaces: 155A. Color,            mature, upper and lower surfaces: 155D.        -   Flower bracts.—Arrangement: Each whorl of flowers subtended            by a flower bract. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 5 mm.            Shape: Tri-lobed. Apex: Rounded. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 194D; venation, 191A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused into a tube. Length:            About 4 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Sepal apex: Acute. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 194A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter:            About 2 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color: 194A. Texture:            Smooth.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther            color: 23A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 23A.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 155A. Style            length: About 4 mm. Style color: 155D. Ovary color: 194D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavender have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavender.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lavender have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from −2 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Barcelona White’, as illustrated and described. 